


Baby steps

by stjarna



Series: Season 5 spec fics / coda / missing scenes [12]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Broken Friendship, Bus Kids - Freeform, Gen, Hurt, angst with hopeful end, hopeful end, post 5x15, slow healing, spec fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-01
Updated: 2018-04-01
Packaged: 2019-04-16 18:18:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14170755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stjarna/pseuds/stjarna
Summary: A post 5x15 spec fic of how Daisy's and Fitz's friendship can maybe take a step towards healing.





	Baby steps

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you, @dilkirani, for another beta.

“You fucked up.”

Fitz looked up from his book and to the glass window of his cell. He paused for a moment, taking in Daisy.

“You think I don't know that?” he asked quietly.

She held his gaze, her eyes unreadable.

“I fucked up, too,” she suddenly said.

Fitz furrowed his brow, trying to process her statement but without enough information to discern what she meant.

He swung his legs off the bed and got up, tucking his hands in his pockets. He kept his gaze low, not quite daring to look straight at her, and yet glancing up to catch a glimpse of her eyes once he stood in front of the window pane.

“Mission almost went south,” Daisy explained, crossing her arms in front of her chest. She scoffed. “I mean my powers actually came in handy, so I guess a 'thank you' is in order, but—”

Fitz grimaced over her sarcastic remark. “Daisy,” he tried, but her next words caused him to pause.

“Robin and Polly—Polly got hurt.”

“They're okay?”

She nodded barely noticeably. “Not thanks to me though.”

Fitz sighed, his gaze wandering to the ground.

“I still can't forgive you,” Daisy said, sadness lingering in her voice.

“I don't want you to.”

“Not done talking yet.”

“Sorry.”

“I can't forgive you yet, but… but today, I put Robin and Polly in mortal danger. A kid and her mother. Two innocent people I—I promised Charles I’d protect them, and today they got hurt, almost killed because I didn't really care about what happened to them as long as it would help me find Coulson.”

Fitz looked up, meeting her tear-rimmed eyes.

“I can't forgive you, Fitz. Not yet anyways but—” She sniffed, her voice hoarse and trembling. “But I understand why you did it, how you could do it even though you knew it was wrong, _how_ you did it was wrong. I understand that now. And maybe that's a first step.”

“Let me help. I want to help.”

Daisy looked directly at him. “Tell me you're still you.”

Fitz shrugged, gesturing at himself. “I'm still me. But so is that part of me. And I can't promise you he won't show his ugly face again. But I can promise you I'll fight every minute of every day to keep him in check. And you know now. You _all_ know now what to look for and—”

“You're different now.”

Fitz nodded, weakly. “Yeah.”

Daisy scoffed, one corner of her mouth briefly twitching into the ghost of a smile. “I wish I could say ‘and there's nothing wrong with that’, Fitz, but for me, right now, with what happened, there's something wrong with that. It's fucked up. And I'm angry and I'm scared.”

“I’m scared, too.”

She sighed, staring at him before disappearing into the hallway. Fitz waited by the window until the door buzzed and opened.

Daisy stopped in the doorframe, staring at Fitz in silence for a moment, her eyes thoughtful.

“I need your help, Fitz,” she suddenly said.

Fitz felt his throat close up, her figure becoming blurry as tears filled his eyes. “I need yours, too.”

She blinked rapidly, her dark irises shimmering and watery. She exhaled a sharp breath, taking a step closer and extending her hand in Fitz’s direction. “Baby steps?”

A weak smile flashed across Fitz's face. He accepted Daisy’s handshake, bobbing his head in agreement. “Baby steps.”


End file.
